The field of the invention relates to automatic call distributors and more particularly to automatic call distributors capable of processing transactions under voice and non-voice formats.
Automatic call distribution system s are known. Such systems are typically used in an organizational context as a means of distributing telephone calls among a group of agents of the organization.
Often the organization disseminates a single telephone number to its customers and to the public in general as a means of contacting the organization. As calls are directed to the organization from the public switch telephone network (PSTN), the automatic call distribution system directs the calls to its agents based upon some algorithm, typically based upon availability. For example, where all agents are consider equal, the automatic call distributor (ACD) may distribute the calls based upon which agent position (telephone) has been idle the longest.
In order to distribute incoming calls from the PSTN to the available agents, the interaction of a controlling computer with a switching fabric of the ACD becomes essential. Often a connection of the ACD to a local PSTN is in the form of a number of trunk connections. Each of the trunk connections is monitored by the controller for incoming calls. Where a call is detected, the controller searches for and selects an idle agent. Upon selecting an agent, the controller instructs the switch to form a connection between the incoming trunk and selected agent.
In more complicated systems, the organization may use a number of telephone numbers to identify different individuals and functions within the organization. Each telephone number may be assigned to a particular incoming trunk or group of incoming trunk lines. As such, the controller may be required to recognize a call target based upon an identity of an incoming trunk line and route the call accordingly.
In other systems, the ACD of an organization may receive calls directed to different call targets over the same trunk lines. In such a case, the call target may be identified to the ACD by a pulse code modulated (PCM) signal transferred from the PSTN to the controller of the ACD by a dialed number identification service (DNIS) operating from within the PSTN.
In systems associated with service organizations, where many calls are received and handled by many agents, it may be important for an agent to have ready access to customer files. In such a situation, a database is maintained of existing customers. Customer records may be displayed on agent terminals as the agents converse with specific customers. In some cases, the customer may be identified to the database for display of records on the terminal by the agent entering a customer identifier into a keyboard associated with the terminal. Alternatively, the controller of the ACD may transfer an identifier of the customer to the database based upon an automatic number identification (ANI) facility, operating from within the PSTN.
Where ANI is used, the controller of the ACD receives the ANI digits (identifying the caller via the caller""s telephone number) at the same time the call arrives from the PSTN. Upon selecting an agent, the controller may transfer a call to a queue of the selected agent (or group of agents) or directly to the selected agent. At the same time that the call is delivered to the agent, the controller sends an identifier of the selected agent and ANI number of the customer to a controller of the database (the host). The host, in turn, displays the customer records on a computer monitor of the terminal of the selected agent at the same time the call is delivered.
While the existing method of ACD operation is relatively satisfactory, it is not readily adapted to inquires from customers arriving by fax or via the Internet. Accordingly, a need exists for a means of adapting ACD operation to a mult-imedia environment which includes voice, data, the Internet or some combination thereof.
A method and apparatus are provided for processing multi-media telecommunication transactions by a call processing center. The method includes the steps of detecting a call of the multi-media telecommunication transactions by a host computer of the call processing center and transferring a transaction request from the host to a call processor for assignment of an agent to the call. The method further includes the steps of transferring an identifier of the assigned agent from the call processor to the host and transferring the call received from the host to the assigned agent.